When you think of gun control, you probably don’t think of Nebraska. After all, a largely rural state like Nebraska tends to lean on the pro-gun side. That’s especially true when you consider they’re an open-carry and a “shall issue” state. They’re fairly pro-gun.

However, they also require a license to purchase a handgun, which is not a pro-gun thing by any stretch.

Now, the mayor of Lincoln wants to give out free gun locks when people come in to apply for a purchase permit, which isn’t a big deal in and of itself, but it does seem to be just the first step toward a broader push for local gun control.

Free gun locks will be offered when someone applies to buy a handgun at the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird announced Thursday.

Preventing gun violence is a complex undertaking that requires efforts at every level of government and across the community, she said at a morning press conference to talk about her gun safety initiatives.

The ideas are in response to a task force that examined child access to firearms and the safe storage of guns this summer.

Gaylor Baird said she supports two gun ordinances being considered by the City Council which require gun owners to report gun thefts within 48 hours and another to secure guns left in vehicles.

The free gun lock program is a partnership with the Lincoln-Lancaster Youth Suicide Prevention Coalition.

The city, its police department, gun safety advocates and Big Shots gun range business owner will do a public safety campaign recommending safe storage practices.

Now, I don’t have an issue with safe storage initiatives. I think most people need to lock their guns up because secured guns are less likely to be accessed illegally. It’s not impossible, but it does help.

However, Gaylor Baird is tying this initiative–one that we can probably at least agree isn’t an issue–with actual gun control laws like mandatory reporting and mandatory storage within a vehicle. This is now an issue.

Frankly, I don’t know that Lincoln can legally do it, either.

Nebraska has a preemption law on the books. While it doesn’t mandate that everything is off the table, it doesn’t look like it allows measures like this. Instead, it allows a few things, most of which don’t apply to people who have a carry permit. About the only local law that can apply to permitholders are discharge ordinances.

That doesn’t sound at all like what Gaylor Baird is talking about here.

Gaylord Baird, a Democrat, is using a relatively non-controversial program to try and cover for a push on far more controversial gun control policies. I’m sorry, but this is troubling to me. While I have no issue with making gun locks available or even just handing them out to whoever applies for a permit–I have a major problem with requiring a permit to purchase a gun, though–getting into mandatory reporting laws and requiring people secure guns inside of their own property is different.

Someone needs to remind her that the Second Amendment hasn’t been repealed and isn’t likely to be.